Whale Jerky

In the light of the full moon, following my first encounters in Lamalera, I walked back alone to my cliff-top homestay. I realized only now that throughout the village strips of meat and fat cut from the captured sperm whale had been hung on wooden scaffolds to dry. Previously I had read that in Lamalera, after a whale catch, the meat is divided among the villagers according to fixed rituals. Thus, not only the fishermen themselves, but also the elderly, the disabled and the widowed community members get their share and can feed themselves. I was deeply impressed by the well-functioning social system of this village, where no one seems to suffer from poverty and instead people are allowed to live in a community characterized by respect and trust.

Lembata (Indonesia), July 2013